Federal Progressive Party
The Federal Progressive Party is a Valruzian political party founded in 2201. The party is the oldest in Valruzia and is currently the third-largest party in the nation's Federal Consortium. It is also currently part of the left-wing coalition that forms the opposition to the government of Valruzia. Mission The three official missions of the FPP, as stated in the party manifesto, are: *To defend and uphold the Constitution of the Federation, *To safeguard the freedoms of the citizens of Valruzia, and *To form a responsible government which will advance the well-being of the citizens of Valruzia. Party Leaders * Peter Harrison (2201-2206) * Andrew Boone (2206-2210) * Nivek Iuhenhz (2210-2285) * Stephanie Williams (2287-2298) * George Moore (2298-2323) * Richard Robinson (2323-2349) * Jozef Johnson (2349-2376) * Lord Valzacadar (2376-present) Party History Early History (2201-2210) The Federal Progressive Party was founded as the National Democratic Progressive Party in 2201 by a coalition of center-right groups. They felt that the conservative parties of the time, the True Valruzians and the Liberal-Conservitives, were too extremist and were unable to truly represent their more moderate views. The first party convention was held in Kihnterha, when the party functioned as a whole for the first time. Peter Harrison, a Bandorran centrist, won the first party leadership elections. The 2202 elections for the Consortium of Cabbages and Kings was largely a non-event for the party. The party had only contested one seat in each of the five states, and also did not participate in the election for Walrus. The party was instead prepared for 2206, when they might have a better chance of gaining a foothold in the Consortium. As a sign of things to come, the party proposed the "Safety Reform Act" (Valruzian legislation allowed all parties, even those with no seats to propose bills) in 2203. Despite it being defeated, it was important in two ways. It helped consolidate the party's position in the nation's politics, and it helped align the party with the leftist Free Radicals and Vitalian Alliance, until the collapse of the latter in 2285. The efforts of the party paid off though, as shown in the 2206 Consortium elections when they won 49 seats (out of 301), controlling 16% of the Consortium. Andrew Boone had also replaced Harrison as the Chairman of the party, as Harrison had failed to win a seat during the elections. During Boone's time as Chairman, the party made a significant number of proposals to the Consortium of Cabbages and Kings, most prominently the "Military Emergency Assistance Act", which allowed the military to aid the police in serious emergencies and is still in force today. In early 2210 a series of scandals involving Boone had led to his resignation and the defection of several prominent members to other parties. The NDPP had hence entered the 21st Consortium of Cabbages and Kings with a reduced number of representatives. Iuhenhz's Rise to Power (2210-2225) During the 2210 annual party conference, Nivek Iuhenhz, then the party leader for his native Dugathan, was elected as party Chairman. He had ambitious plans for the party, and he had made it clear in his first speech to the party as Chairman. His two dreams were to see the party being a dominant force in Valruzian politics, and being Walrus. To indicate his intended shift in party direction, he initiated a series of reforms, overhauling the structure of the party and realigning party positions in various subjects. Chief among them was the renaming of the party from the NDPP to the current FPP. He also announced his intention to run for the office of Walrus, something which none of his predecessors did. The reforms, however, were not appreciated by everybody and caused much opposition within the party. Iuhenhz managed to remain in power - though barely - by skillfully uniting several factions within the party to support him. It revitalised the party, as shown in the party's later rise in political power. The party was not prepared for the 2220 emergency elections, caused by the collapse of the Libertarian Party of Valruzia, then the largest in the country. It helped Iuhenhz though, as it booted out many who opposed his leadership in the Central Executive Committee. 2224 would mark a dark year for the party, as it entered the new Consortium with only 7% of all seats, the party's worst showing since its foundation (and for nearly a century after). Iuhenhz brilliantly used this opportunity to establish his total control over the party by using his considerable influence to vote his opposition out of power during the annual party conference. The "purges" took up most of Iuhenhz's energy and time, and by the time the conference ended, nothing was done to alleviate the party's decline in Valruzian politics. Needing to placate the party rank and file, Iuhenhz commissioned what would eventually be known as the Tanner Plan, named after the party leader who led the commission, William Tanner. Unfortunately, the plans were classified. It had taken nearly two years before the first Tanner Plan reached the Consortium of Cabbages and Kings, and another year before the last Plan was proposed. Many of the other proposed Plans never reached the FPP members of Consortium, let alone be proposed. The Slow Ascendancy (2225-2241) Despite the Tanner Plans' many flaws, it had ultimately served its purpose of increasing support for the party. For the next few elections, the support for the party increased, and there was no sign that it would stop. This quiet ascendancy continued for nearly two decades. A disaster struck the party in December 2241. During the annual party conventions, . Many died that day, including the majority of the party's members of the Federal Consortium, and many others had to be hospitalised. Until 2244, the party would have no representation in the Consortium, due to Valruzian laws on legislators who were unfit for office. The party is effectively crippled as a political movement, at least for the time being. Election History Affiliations The Federal Progressive Party is also a member of the following party organisations. Category:Political parties in Valruzia